York Association of the National Trust
YANT Talks Archives 2023
Talks Organiser: talks@yant.org.uk
Saturday 20th January 2024 at 2.30pm
“Beetles, Bears and Battles” Museum Gardens through Time with Catherine Brophy
Marriott Room, York Explore, York Central Library, Museum Street, YO1 7DS
Catherine Brophy will share ongoing research on the history of the gardens, which is part of the “York Trailblazers” community project taking place in York in 2024, including the planned “Tansy Beetle Sculpture Trail”.
“Gwen John: Art and Life” with Dorothy Nott
Saturday 11th November at 2.30pm
St Edward’s Community Hall, Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, YO24 1QG
Gwen John was both an obsessive lover of men and women and an ascetic retreating into her own narrow world - a true enigma. Reluctant to exhibit or sell her works she repelled several art agents and allowed some of her canvasses to decay. And yet, those paintings which survive are so carefully crafted, her delicate tones so sensitively applied that her work resonates today as can be seen in the current retrospective at the Pallant Art Gallery in Chichester. Augustus John spoke of his sister with admiration forecasting that in 50 years’ time he would be known as the brother of Gwen John.
We hope that the National Trust shop will again provide Christmas shopping discount vouchers and if so, they will be available at this talk and the Get-Together lunch on November 21st.
“Yorkshire Swan & Wildlife Rescue Hospital” with Dan Sidley
Saturday 21st October at 2.30pm
Marriott Room, York Central Library, Museum Street, YO1
Dan founded this registered charity 15 years ago and he will explain how working with volunteers and veterinary surgeons they are dedicated to the rescue, treatment and eventual release of injured swans and wild animals across Yorkshire and the adjoining counties.
Review: YANT Talk, 21st October 2023 at York Explore
We gathered to hear an excellent, illustrated talk by Dan Sidley of the Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Charity, which is now 18 years old.
The first part was about swans in general, our largest flying birds. Young birds gather in flocks for up to four years while they mature and find their lifetime mate. They then move on to find their own territory and start breeding. The female settles on her nest and lays 4-12 eggs, over a period, starting to incubate when the clutch is complete. After about 38 days the eggs hatch and the young are taken out on the water within 24 days. If tired, the young hitch a lift on the back of their parent, but usually swim in a line between them. They grow quickly and are full size by September but take several months to shed the juvenile brown feathers. The adults then encourage them to leave home and join a flock.
Swans are now surveyed and ringed, but those on the Thames still belong to the King.
The next part detailed the work of the charity, based at Barlow, within the Drax Power Station site and which last year had several thousand calls. Many swans are treated in the hospital with the help of a sympathetic vet, then they are moved into outdoor pens and ponds, where they can preen and prepare for release back into the wild. The mates of injured swans are also captured when possible as the presence of a mate helps recovery.
40% of the injuries are caused by fishing lines and hooks, usually requiring surgery. Pike lures are particularly vicious. We saw horrific photos of damage, but swans are resilient. Grit is needed for digestion. However, lead still lurks on the beds of rivers but treatment for lead poisoning is now largely successful.
Other hazards include power lines, where reflectors can help as swans are poor flyers. Wet roads look like sheets of water, but traffic officers are now trained to deal with swans. Plastic waste and oil continue to cause injuries, but some of the worst cases are from vandals using air rifles, crossbows, and catapults.
Although primarily for swans, the charity takes in some other wildlife - badgers, foxes, deer, otter and birds of prey. 400 ducklings have been rescued this year. YANT has given a donation to this marvellous charity.
Win Derbyshire
“From Kitchen Table to NT Shop” with Clara Challoner Walker
Saturday 29th April 2023 at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Friargate, York
Clara will explain how, starting with experiments on her kitchen table, she developed luxurious handmade, ethical, natural soaps and body care and created the Cosy Cottage Soap Company.
Clara makes everything in Yorkshire and works with local suppliers such as seaweed from Yorkshire Coast company “SeaGrown”.
Supported by research with the University of York these products are now available in the York NT shop as well as in her own shop in Malton.
Saturday 18th February 2023 at 2.30pm
“Place Names” by Stephen Lusty
Friends’ Meeting House, Friargate, York
If you have ever wondered about the history, legends, stories and flora and fauna behind how our villages, towns and streets are named then join us for this fascinating exploration of Place Names.
Wednesday 18th January 2023 at 2.30pm on Zoom
“The Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Who we are”
with Andrew Thornton, CWGC Volunteer Speaker
Andrew will introduce us to the work of the Commission and tell us some of the stories of those who died serving in the First and Second World Wars and the work of preserving the unique cultural, horticultural, and architectural heritage of the CWGC.
Sit back and enjoy this talk from the comfort of your armchair and invite a friend to share a cup of tea and a screen with you; particularly if they don’t themselves have online facilities.
A video of the Talk presented on Zoom by Andrew Thornton entitled "The Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Who we are" is now available to view below.
Review - Talk on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission by Andrew Thornton on 18th January
Andrew Thornton’s talk was given on zoom under the auspices of the MacRobert Trust Speakers Programme. This is a trust commemorating the three sons of Lady MacRobert who were killed in action in the First World War and were remembered by her gift of a Stirling Bomber named MacRobert’s Reply.
Andrew started his talk with a short video illustrating the work of the Commission in 23000 sites across the globe commemorating 1.7 million men and women killed during the First and Second World Wars. To qualify, the deaths had to fall between 4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 or 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947. Those killed in action in other conflicts are looked after by the Ministry of Defence. Even today, there are approximately 100 war victims a year recovered and reburied by the Commission, particularly in Belgium. The youngest of the casualties are said to be 14 years of age, while the oldest are 68. 850 gardeners are employed to look after the various sites which are funded by six countries and Andrew illustrated how the gardens varied according to the climate of the country involved.
We have to look to Fabian Ware for the origin of the Commission. Too old for active service, Ware volunteered for the Red Cross and soon discovered there was no central register of the deaths all round him. After badgering the War Office, the Graves Registration Unit was set up keeping notes on burials but Ware also found himself dealing with masses of correspondence from relatives of the deceased, many unable to travel to see where their loved ones lay. To deal with this expanded role the Imperial War Graves Commission was set up by Royal Charter in 1917.
The founding principles of the Commission were to provide a headstone which would be both permanent and uniform, providing for ‘equality in death’. The style adopted was a simple stone which would carry information as to the regimental unit or service badge, the regimental number, rank, name, date of death and age. If appropriate a religious emblem such as a cross or star of David could be added together with a personal inscription of up to 66 letters. The lettering is in a unique font by Macdonald Gill. Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice and Edwin Lutyens’ Stone of Remembrance with words from Rudyard Kipling can also be seen in many of the cemeteries. Andrew explained that there were also many missing in action and as well as 35000 names on the panels at Tyne Cot, two massive memorials, one at the Menin Gate in Ypres and another at Thiepval on the Somme added 53000 and 73000 names respectively.
The largest number of sites are in France followed by the United Kingdom where 13000 locations contain 306000 burials for although the government banned repatriation early on in the First World War, there were many who returned home sick or injured or who died in training. Some of these were given a private burial by the families. Foreign nationals, too, are looked after, including Polish, German, Czech and Dutch under a reciprocal agreement with their respective governments. For those wishing to identify gravestones in the UK, the Commission provides a location map as well as keeping an archive of 10000 records. Andrew suggested that more information could be obtained by visiting Beaurains Visitor Centre in France or, closer to home, the Stonefall Cemetery in Harrogate where he is a guide.
Dorothy Nott